TOMS RIVER — An Atlantic City man, Andrew Williams, 45, has pleaded guilty to eluding and burglary in connection with an incident that occurred in Brick Township on Dec. 16, 2021, according to an Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office press release.
Williams also pled guilty to a second count of burglary in connection with an incident that occurred on Oct. 25, 2021, as well as two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card in connection with incidents that occurred on Dec. 10, 2021 and Dec. 14, 2021, both in Stafford Township.
At the time of his sentencing on June 13, the state will be seeking a term of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton on the eluding charge, eight years on the burglary, five years each on the fraudulent use of a credit card charge, and five years on the second burglary charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.
On Dec. 16, 2021, the Brick Township Police Department was alerted by an off-duty Brick Township police officer that he observed two individuals in the area of an active car alarm in the parking lot of LA Fitness on Chambers Bridge Road.
Responding officers observed two individuals enter a van and leave the area. Officers attempted to stop the van, which was being driven recklessly eastbound on Route 70, the prosecutor’s office stated. A short time later, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Burnt Tavern Road and Maple Avenue.
Then, the driver of the van, later identified as Williams, exited the vehicle and attempted to forcibly remove the driver of a nearby vehicle, opening the door and trying to pull the driver from her vehicle, the prosecutor’s office stated.
After that attempt was unsuccessful, Williams entered one of the responding police cruisers. Williams was quickly removed from the police vehicle and placed under arrest.
Further investigation by responding officers determined that Williams had committed two vehicle burglaries in the LA Fitness parking lot on December 16, 2021, the prosecutor’s office stated. Williams was subsequently transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been lodged since that date.
In an earlier unrelated incident, the Brick Township Police Department was contacted on Oct. 25, 2021 by an individual claiming that his vehicle, while parked in the LA Fitness parking lot on Chambers Bridge Road, had been broken into and that his wallet had been stolen from within the vehicle.
A subsequent investigation by the Brick Township Police Department revealed that Williams was responsible for the Oct. 25 vehicle burglary, and he was charged accordingly on Nov. 19, 2021, the prosecutor’s office stated.
Williams was served with that charge at the Ocean County Jail – where he had been lodged since the previous date – on Dec. 17, 2021.
In another unrelated incident, the Stafford Township Police Department was contacted on Dec. 14, 2021 by employees of the Best Buy Store on Stafford Park Boulevard for a report of a male having fraudulently used a credit card.
Employees recognized the individual from a previous fraudulent transaction that occurred on Dec. 10, 2021. The employees contacted police, but the suspect had already left the store.
Further investigation revealed that Williams was the individual responsible for fraudulent use of credit cards in both instances, the prosecutor’s office stated. He was charged accordingly on Dec. 19, 2021, and served with the charges at the Ocean County Jail, where he had been lodged since Dec. 16.
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